Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Hello Fountain Pen!

We are extremely excited that we get to continue sharing our love for analogue in many different layers. If you have seen our BK Instagram feed, you probably have noticed that I am pretty obsessed with my fountain pens including Lamy and Kaweco for everyday adventures. (their fountain pens coming soon to Baum-kuchen shop!)
There are still SO MUCH MORE for me to learn about fountain pens so I asked Eunice if she could give me some fountain pen tips from her perspectives. (and above image from the day when I learned that we should clean the pen every time we change our ink cartridge!)p.s who will be heading out to The Los Angeles International Pen Show this weekend?? I have heard so much about this event over many years and so thrilled to check it out in person for the first time:)

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+Cartridges vs. Converters/.There are two types of ink filling mechanisms that are convenient to use with fountain pens, which are cartridges and converters.

Cartridges are easy because once the ink has been used up; you can just pop out the old one and insert a new one.

Converters may seem intimidating but are quite easy to use. Converters allow you to utilize an unlimited color variety of fountain pen inks whereas standard cartridges usually have a limited color palette.

Each fountain pen brand usually carries their own cartridges, but some brands are interchangeable. i.e. Diamine cartridges can also be used with the Kaweco Sport fountain pens. When purchasing cartridges read the description and reviews. It will contain useful information on which cartridges can be used with specific fountain pens.

+Filling your fountain pen with a converter /.

Converters are just like regular ink cartridge with one extra special feature. It has either a twist style or a pumping mechanism, which draws the ink into the reservoir.

Simply attach your convertor into the section of your pen and carefully dip your pen so that the feed is all the way inside of the ink bottle. Draw up the ink by either twisting or pumping the handle of the converter. You can also dip the converter in an ink bottle to draw ink.

Should this method be difficult for you, a blunt ended syringe can be used to draw up ink and fill the convertor. Some find that this method is also a better alternative when they have a white or delicate pen that they don’t want to risk the chance of staining as a result of submerging the pen into an ink bottle.

The syringe method may also be used to refill an empty and clean cartridge with different colored inks should you prefer not to use a converter.

+Fountain Pen Maintenance/.Fountain pen maintenance is critical in how your fountain pen performs in addition to the longevity of your beloved pen.

When you have used up the ink in your cartridge or converter, even if you are going to use the same color; the nib, feed, and inside of the section should be thoroughly flushed and rinsed out until the water runs clear. Try a wipe test on a lint free paper towel; there shouldn’t be any ink residue left.

Flushing out the pen with tap water is acceptable, however I recommend that once the water starts to run clear use distilled water to flush the nib out a few times through the section to ensure that there aren’t any unwanted minerals or debris inside the nib or feed.

If you have stubborn ink that just won’t rinse out, it is recommended to use a “pen flush” to aid the process. I recommend the pen flush from Goulet Pens.

Even if it is not required, I use the pen flush to soak and flush my nib when cleaning my fountain pens each time. I can tell a big difference on how smooth my nib feels vs. when I skip this step.